This recipe might not be a classic paella, and many would argue it isn’t one at all — and they’d be partly right. Traditional paella requires the right rice, saffron, and the proper pan. The toppings, however, can vary widely. I started out intending to make a vegetable paella, but later decided to skip both meat and seafood, replacing them with aromatic wild mushrooms. I even left out the saffron, though I originally planned to include it — the rich scent of boletus mushrooms was enough on its own. And so, this turned into a lazy version of paella: no chicken, no shrimp, just warm earthy flavors. That said, if I had chanterelles, I definitely would’ve added saffron.
- 1 sweet onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- A handful of marjoram leaves (can be substituted for ½ tsp. dried)
- 1 carrot— 3-4 large mushrooms (forest)
- 1 tomato
- A handful of green peas (can not be added)
- 1 sweet pepper (optional)
- 250—300 ml broth or water
- 300 g of rice for paella (you can arborio or another rounded variety)
- Paprika
- Saffron (optional)
Finely chop the onion and garlic, then sauté them in olive oil until soft, adding the marjoram for aroma. Clean the mushrooms with a brush, slice them, and cook them together with the vegetables. Add finely chopped tomato, peas, and bell pepper if using. After a few minutes, season with a bit of paprika. If your mushrooms aren’t very fragrant (for example, if you're not using boletus, porcini, honey mushrooms, or chanterelles), you can dissolve a pinch of saffron in hot broth or water and add it now. Reduce the heat to low, sprinkle the rice evenly on top of the vegetables, pour in the broth or water, and cover with a lid. Let it cook on low heat for 20–25 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave it to rest, covered, for another 15–20 minutes without lifting the lid.
Finely chop the onion and garlic, then sauté them in olive oil until soft, adding the marjoram for aroma. Clean the mushrooms with a brush, slice them, and cook them together with the vegetables. Add finely chopped tomato, peas, and bell pepper if using. After a few minutes, season with a bit of paprika. If your mushrooms aren’t very fragrant (for example, if you're not using boletus, porcini, honey mushrooms, or chanterelles), you can dissolve a pinch of saffron in hot broth or water and add it now. Reduce the heat to low, sprinkle the rice evenly on top of the vegetables, pour in the broth or water, and cover with a lid. Let it cook on low heat for 20–25 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave it to rest, covered, for another 15–20 minutes without lifting the lid.
